Arts and Crafts

I finally scored some proper tape to do custom decals on the team helmets. I'm pleased with the end result. I had originally invisioned a pretty detailed and dramatic idea. After I mocked up a few of them in Illustrator, then tested the taping and triming process, I decided to stick with something simple that could be executed well. I found the vinyl tape at Tape Brothers. They have a good selection of colors (for tape), the price is low, and the application process was easier than I anticipated. Check it.

Check final concept out on in Illustrator-


Test taping technique on old lid-


Check spacing-


Tape-


Trim-


Trim-


Rock-

Show and Tell: Part 2

COURAGE has received more complimentary coverage from our Denver outing. James Huang at Cyclingnews.com loved the townie Aaron brought and posted quite a few pics along with the story behind the details on the bike.

I'm still surprised no one has pic up on this...

...UPDATE Picked up here.

Show and Tell

Aaron's in Denver for the Rocky Mountain Bike Show and got a little coverage on Velonews. Note the photo comment is incorrect. The bike is a four speed (not single) built with a Schlumpf heel operated two speed transmission and a flip-flip rear hub with two cogs per side.

We'll have more photos of the finished bike on our Flickr page soon, but you can check out the process shots in the meantime.

Motorsports

Jimmy Udall is busy mimicing Formula 1 - Rocket fast. Motion blur. Eurostyle. Last Friday he went head to headd with the big boys in the Pro/1/2 race at Portland's Twilight Crit. Aaron said it was almost hard to watch the display of speed because he knew all those guys where chest deep in suffocating pain.



Mike Hemme has been sporting the COURAGE colors in a few local Wednesday night crits in Chicago. If you look carefully at this pic you'll notice Mike is doing his best imitation of Formula D[rift]. Yes, that's a little reverse lock on a road bike. Mike is no roadie, but he's a wicked good trail rider, and I think he just cashed in some of his trail creed to save his ass on the road. Somehow Mike kept it up on two wheels when he had an explosive blowout half a second before this pic was taken. Thanks to Gavin Gould for the perfectly timed pic.



Holly and Kevin have been flexing some monster truck skills in the WORS events - both found success in their last race. Holly even had the balls to go into the race with a little smack talk on her blog. Word up to velogrrrl for the pics of the Klugs. BTW, Kevin has a motorsport fetish of his own that I'll report on in more detail once I get a ride in his latest track day special. Unfortunately, while Kevin gets to experiment with lateral g-force in a car with a G and a T legitimately in its name I'm religated to making two stroke motorcycle sounds at the start line of bike races...



All this gets us to the WRC, aka the cyclocross of motorsports. I have to thank Audi for having incredible race imagery of one of the most exciting race disciplines ever. I'll never understand why the crowds at WRC events feel safe enough to stand 'handup' close to the action... Like most of us out there, I can't wait for cross to start.

Blapp, blapppp, blapppapppapppapp!

Not a Podium

Last weekend I check 'race a crit' off my annual to do list. I've used the Chicago Crit to fulfill the obligation for the last two years. The event was spectacular, my race, not as.

I don't have much to say except I finished better this year than last, and it was fun to get back on a start line. I haven't heard the whistle blow since December. Big props to John Villena for representing cross racers by taking second in the sprint, then pluging cross on the podium interview.

Coolest pic from the day - dude showing up fully armed to race and enjoy the afternoon.



Random pic from later that day - this one is for Ben.

National Pride

I'm not myopic enough to be nationalistic, but I am moved when I hear The Star Spangled Banner during a ceremony for which I've emotionally involved myself. So when I saw the following at the bottom of a velonews.com article had to reread it to make sure I had had right:

The newspaper also called the accidental playing of the Danish national anthem when Contador stepped up to the podium as an "unforgivable mistake".

This is an awful error to make. This is not the Olympics where the podium gets worked out every 10 minutes, this is a month long singular event with one winner. Imagine competing at the highest level, pouring your life into an event while exposing yourself within arms length of millions of fans in an international sport where nations vie for bragging rights - and you win. Then at the emotional, ceremonious conclusion, with long neglected but loving family present, sponsors, dignitaries, hundreds of fans, and a worldwide audience channeled through the television - they play the wrong song?! Talk about an emotional cluster fuck. Major party foul.

Podium!

I love this picture, it has it all - bags of money, smiling Olympic officials, and Mike Hemme rocking his first podium for COURAGE. Hemme's blog doesn't get into the exciting details of the race (he's too modest), and while I wasn't there I did get a couple of phone calls from people giving me the story as it unfolded. Here are the two main details: he almost lapped the field competing for a $20 preem and he won the thing in a sprint. I think if John Vande Velde had added a six pack of Bells to the $20 offer Mike would have made it all the way around...